So, the big announcement:
I’m doing it. I’m publishing a novel.
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Thirty years ago, if you turned on to South New Holland Road off of 772 and drove for about a quarter mile, past the Amish schoolhouse, to a strange little intersection where Hershey Church Road bore off to the right, and if you followed Hershey Church Road for a few hundred yards until you came to the first lane on the left, and if you drove back that long lane to the farmhouse, and if you walked past the large vegetable garden and under the two large oak trees, you might have seen me sitting on the front porch, reading a book.
If it was thirty years ago, you probably would have found me reading The Hardy Boys or The Black Stallion. Twenty-seven years ago? I was probably knee-deep in The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings.
I wasn’t picky, though. I read anything my school librarian recommended. I devoured books.
Years passed. We moved away from the farmhouse. But I kept reading. Soon, I didn’t want to only read stories – I wanted to create them myself.
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This first book that I’m releasing, The Day the Angels Fell, is a book I wrote for my children because it’s about a very difficult subject: death. As Madeleine L’Engle so aptly said,
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
But I’m hoping adults will pick it up and enjoy it, too. Even if it’s too difficult for them.
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I’ll tell you more about the book when the Kickstarter releases on Monday. For those of you who don’t know how Kickstarter works, here’s a quick summary. People pledge an amount of money to help a project come to fruition. For this project, people will pledge money to help my novel get published (because it costs money to publish a book – $3500 in this case for editing and cover design and digital formatting).
There are various levels that you will be able to contribute: $15 gets you a signed, paperback copy of the book; $49 gets you a limited-edition hardback copy and an invite to the exciting book launch party. $169 gets you the hardback plus a spot in a writing class I’ll be running early next year. Some of the other rewards include personal writing coaching, me helping you self-publish your own book, and even me writing a small book for you about your family or yourself or your business or your charity.
And there are all kinds of other rewards as well, which you can check out next Monday when the project releases.
But the important thing to remember with Kickstarter is this: if I don’t raise the entire amount, I don’t get any of the money. And the rewards go unfulfilled.
How can you help? Donate to the project and help me spread the word next week. Mark your calendars for Monday, October 20th, and help me get off to a good start.
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How do I feel about it? I’m still kind of terrified. What if I don’t raise the money? What if I do raise the money and then release a book no one likes?
But I’m also kind of over it. I’ve gotten to the point where I have written a story I really love and I want to share it. It’s time to tell fear to stop being a jerk. It’s time for me to move on, through the fear, and see what lies on the other side.
Stay tuned!
You are called to be a steward of your gifts and talents. I have been encouraged and challenged by your work, as I have followed you online. The One who called you is faithful…
Sounds like a plan. I’ll donate. I want a hardcover. Let me know when it’s up.
Congrats Shawn!
Way cool!!
Very cool and very excited for you. Can’t wait to read it!
Best wishes, Shawn. Looking forward to it.
Great for you! I read your book Building a Life Out of Words and really liked it, I especially the admired the courage is takes to press on in the writing life which requires such faith- the thing I am currently struggling to find myself. I’m enjoying watching your journey unfold!